&J Gallo Winery’s Sonoma
vineyards received a 2011
Integrated Pest Management
Innovator Award from the
state of California. The state cited
Gallo’s long history of IPM practices
in the winegrape industry, and the
company’s efforts to stay on the cutting
edge of sustainability practice
and worker safety, in the announcement.

Vine rows are planted to various
orientations. “The majority are east/
west. Some vine rows run at other
orientations; somewhat northeast
to southwest to fit the topography,”
explains Jim Collins, senior director
of coastal winegrowing.

Production is 4.5 to 5.5 tons of
Chardonnay per acre and 4 to 4.75
tons of Pinot Noir per acre. Some
vines have been removed from the 8
x 4 vine spacing, to be 8x8 in some
heavier clay soils.
Leaf removal on both sides of
the vines begins at set, to achieve
maximum sun exposure on the fruit

zone. Machinery includes a blower
for quadrilateral-trained vines, and
suck-and-cut machine for bilateralcordon
vines. More leaf removal is
performed at veraison, and postveraison
if needed. The 2011 season
required late-season leaf removal to
control botrytis and powdery mildew.

Early-season powdery mildew control
includes an oil application after
budbreak. Fungicides are rotated
through the growing season. For
botrytis, leaf removal keeps pressure
down, and Pristine was applied in
2011 on some blocks.

In 2009, Gallo converted a Spectrum
sprayer into a two vine-row weed
sprayer for winter herbicide application.
The sprayer has an internal fan
to blow weeds off the berm in front
as it passes. The converted equipment
reduces spray passes, and increases the
efficacy of chemicals applied.

The PRiME (Pesticide Risk and
Mitigation Engine) program measures
pesticide use, runoff, and environmental
impacts, and is being beta-tested
at Gallo’s Sonoma ranches, with 2010
and 2011 data collected and loaded into
the “engine” and new budgets created
for Gallo management to review the
effects of current spray

regimens and
adjust accordingly. “Gallo is one of the
first large growers to adopt PRiME, and
its use of the system is allowing the
PRiME team to make it more effective
for other growers,” says Collins.

Falconry has been employed to prevent
starlings from eating ripe grapes
at Two Rock Ranch since 2006. The
falconeer arrives in mid-August or at
about 18° Brix each year, and works
until late October when harvest is completed.

Two Rock Ranch has three raptor
perches and six owl boxes for gopher
control.

A pocket gopher study at Laguna
Ranch began in 2009. Vineyard managers
worked with the University of
California to evaluate the best methods
for gopher control, studying Rodenator,
bait, trapping, and fumigation methods.
Trapping and fumigation were
determined to be the most effective
methods.

“This is a partial list of practices we
have worked to continuously improve,
or where we have been innovators in
our field,” concludes Collins. “We continuously
strive to be leaders in this
field, and to help educate other vineyard
operators to be successful and
sustainable at what they do.”